And lydia



No. 6I7,I36. y Patented 1an. 3, |899. A. G. WILKINS 8f. L. E. MUORE. SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLES. (Application led Apr. 30, 1897.) (No Model.)

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ALEXANDER G. VILKINS, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND LYDIA E. MOORE, OF. INDUSTRY, KANSAS; SAID WILKINS ASSIGNOR TO "SAID y MOORE.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,136, dated anuary 3, 1899.`

Application tiled April 30, 1897.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER G. VIL- KINs, residing at Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, and LYDIAE. MOORE, residing at Industry, in the county of Clay and State of Kansas, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Safety Attachment for Bicycles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to an improved safety attachment for bicycles for the purpose of enabling beginners to ride the bicycles with less danger of falling off; and the obj ect of the invention is to improve the structure of devices of this character.

The invention consists of the several details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle with our safety attachment in position thereon. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the standards of the safety attachment detached. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the lower end of 'the standard.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.

1 indicates an ordinary safety-bicycle, in which the upper frame-bar is marked 2 and the lower frame-bar 3.

The safety attachment is connected to the frame between the front and rear wheels of the bicycle and sufciently forward to give the pedals room for action.

The attachment consists of two standards, preferably of hickory or other suitable hard wood which can be bent to the desired shape, and each standard consists of an upper straight portion 4 and a lower portion which curves outwardly and downwardly.

6 indicates a clamp-section rigidly secured to the standard just above the junction ofthe straight and curved portions. The clampsection extends transversely across the standard at such an angle as to adapt it to lie parallel with the lower frame-bar 3 when the standard is in a vertical position. The clampsection also extends at each end beyond the standard to afford a lengthened bearing-sur- Serial No. 634,634. (No model.)

face for the frame of the machine. Each standard is provided with a clamp-section, and each clamp-section is provided with a semicircular groove on its inner face to iit over the frame-bar 3. The two standards and the clamp-sections are firmly secured together and to the frame of the machine by headed bolts 8, which pass loosely through the standards and are provided with nuts 9, by means of which they are firmly secured in position. One of these bolts is arranged just above the lower frame-bar 3 and the other bolt just below the upper frame-bar 2. The upper ends of the standards will be tightly clamped against the upper frame-bar 2. Rubber or other suitable packing 10 may be interposed between the clamps and the frame-bar 3 and also between the uppervends of the standard and the upper frame-bar 2 to prevent marring of the frame-bars.

On the lower end of each standard a collar or ferrule 1l is secured and is provided with a downwardly-extending loop l2. The collars or ferrules serve to prevent the lower Aends of the standard from splitting and are preferably made of sheet metal cut to the desired shape to form the loop and be folded around the standard. The ferrules may be secured in place by rivets 13 or other similar fastening devices.

14E indicates a steel plug secured in the end of the standard, and these plugs are each provided with a hole l5, which extends longitudinally into it about two-thirds of its length.

The supplemental wheels are indicated by 16, and each wheel is journaled in a fork 17, the shank of which passes through an opening in the loop l2 and into the opening 15 in the plug let. The end of the shank is preferably conical in order to afford as little friction as possible between it and the plug lei.

20 indicates a collar on the shank 1S, adapted to rest on the loop to prevent the wheels and their supporting-forks from being disconnected from the standards.

When the safety attachment is in position, the supplemental Wheels 16 will extend on opposite sides of the machine an equal distance from the longitudinal central plane of the bicycle. The Wheels will preferably be provided with rubber tires and will be elevated above the ground about three or four inches. Should it be desired to elevate them a greater distance, this may be accomplished to a limited extent by moving the attachment forwardly on the frame of the machine.

From the above description it will be seen that we have produced an exceedingly cheap and simple device for the purpose intended, which may be quickly attached or detached from the machine, and that on account of the clamping-sections extending at each end beyond the standards along bearing-surface is afforded for the frame of the machine, and the latter will consequently not be as liable to be strained or twisted when the weight of the bicycle and its rider is thrown on either of the supplemental wheels.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What we claim isl. An attachment for safety-bicycles comprising a pair of standards having straight .upper portions and outwardly oifset and downwardly-extended lower portions, clamping devices passing transversely through, and connecting together, the straight upper portions of both standards to iirmly hold the standards on the frame-bars of a bicycle, and

Wheels swiveled to the lower deflected ends of said standards, whereby the standards may be applied in parallel positions against opposite sides of bicycle reach-bars and the Wheels disposed beyond the plane of said frame, substantially as described.

2. A safety attachment for bicycles comprising a pair of standards provided with straight upper portions to lie parallel to each other and having their lower portions de- Hected laterally away from one another, the inclined clamps, 6, rigidly secured in transverse positions on the opposing faces of the straight upper portions of the standards, in coincident planes, and adapted to embrace a Erame-bar of a bicycle, the clamping-bolts attached to the standards to draw the latter together and to cause the clamps to bind upon a bicycle, and the caster-wheels swiveled to the lower extremities of the standards, substantially as described.

' In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER G. VILKINS. LYDIA E. MOORE.

Vl'itnesses as to Alexander G. lVilkins:

ARTHUR V. LEBERMAN, LEWIS Il. LAUDERBAUGH. lVitnesses as to Lydia E. Moore:

C. A. MOORE, M. H. PRICE. 

